New Music Friday: Cage The Elephant, Pusha T, And No Surprises
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Refresh the timeline and keep an ear out. It's surprise season.
Two years ago, Beyonce bombed the industry with an unannounced album, surfbort'ing us into Christmas and beyond. Determined not to be fooled again, Twitter has been filled this week with speculation that another major album would drop today without warning. The usual suspects were all in the mix. Would it be the much anticipated ANTI from Rihanna? Now that Kanye lives with a Saint was he finally ready to unveil his latest? Could Bey do it again?
Nothing materialized. Well, there's a Christmas EP from Ariana Grande, but none of what the boys and girls put on their hundred and forty character Christmas list. It's the musical equivalent to snooping for presents and finding a sweater. Cool, I'll wear it – but it's not the remote controlled Millennium Falcon we were looking for.
None the less, there is one last gasp of new music out in 2015. Here's what you'll find for today's New Music Friday.
Cage The Elephant – Tell Me I'm Pretty
On their fourth trip out of the studio, Kentucky's Cage The Elephant continues to evolve. Produced by the careful and busy hands of The Black Keys Dan Auerbach, Tell Me I'm Pretty finds Cage The Elephant a lifetime away from their ragged flannel alt-rock beginnings, and soaked in the analog 60's sound of The Kinks and The Association. Wrapped in tight and bouncy, yet dark and fuzzy pop fits nicely for Cage as the voice of Matt Shultz often threatens to kick over all the other instruments. They're like a morose Monkees with a frayed frontman, and it works best when it seems to be speeding out of control.
Pusha T – King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude
Pusha T spits verbal bullets. Everything about him feels ferocious. I bet he even sounds dangerous ordering pizza. Darkest Before Dawn shows of the new President of Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music label in fit form on a set of grimey and sometimes haunting beats. Pusha T remains razor sharp and direct on drugs, money, and power throughout – strongest as he weaves around a B.I.G. sample on "Untouchable" or puts police under the microscope in "Sunshine". Beanie Sigel, Jill Scott, and The-Dream are just a few of the guests he manages to fit into a firm and fast ten tracks.
Also out this week is Royalty from Chris Brown and John Williams' score from Star Wars: the Force Awakens.
